Helene Spoto "Weighs In" On Bourdain vs. Deen

The hash being slung at Paula Deen, courtesy of Anthony Bourdain’s T.V. Guide interview last week, has once again stirred the pot on the issue of poor eating habits and entertainment television’s influence on the American diet.

While everyone is focused on the feud and taking sides about who is nice and who was rude (I think we can all figure that one out quickly), let’s not lose site of the bigger issue at hand. It’s not about the celebrities doing the cooking. It’s not even about the battle between the gourmet elitists dining on prime cuts of beef and drinking expensive wines and struggling families trying to put grits and macaroni and cheese on the table. It’s about the choices we make about the food we choose to cook and eat.

Let’s not over analyze it. All you have to do is ask yourself a simple question before you eat something. “Is this good for me?” If you’re being honest, the answer will tell you all you need to know. Just to be fair, as a healthy cooking instructor, I’m not above indulging in something that is sweet, salty or fattening…once in a while! I tell people that if you eat well the majority of the time, you should treat yourself to something “naughty” every so often. It’s one of the things
that makes life fun.

I work with so many people that don’t have a lot of time to cook; however, they still want to eat well. Most of us live busy lives and just want to get something on the table at the end of the day for our families. Many of those same people want to learn basic recipes that are easy to prepare, healthy, inexpensive and taste great. I enjoy showing people how easy this is to accomplish.

I used to love to watch the how-to shows of the past on The Food Network including Cooking Thin (Kathleen Daelemans), The Naked Chef and Jamie at Home (Jamie Oliver) and the most recent show relegated to the list of “past” Food Network shows, Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. One thing all of these shows had in common was a focus on healthy cooking. They also share something else in common… they are no longer a part of the Food Network line up. It seems there is no place for healthy cooking shows on the Food Network. The focus is strictly on entertainment. I still watch the shows and enjoy seeing many of the celebrity chefs; however, it’s not likely that I’ll make the recipes.

It’s important to use your common sense here. Remember, no one is forcing you to have to prepare and eat unhealthy foods you see being made on the Food Network. It’s not dangerous unless you actually eat it. It’s just entertainment television. Take it for what it’s worth.